Removal of a disk from the spine is called what?

• A. Laminoplasty
• B. Spinal fusion
• C. Discectomy
• D. Laminectomy

Answer: (D)

Removing a disk from the spine is called discectomy. This procedure targets the intervertebral disc material that may herniate or degenerate and press on a nerve root, with the aim of relieving radicular pain and nerve compression. It can be done via open or microdiscectomy techniques and is commonly used for lumbar disc herniation after conservative treatments have failed.

This differs from laminectomy, which removes the lamina, the back part of a vertebra, to decompress the spinal canal itself rather than removing disc material. Laminoplasty, spinal fusion, and laminectomy are related to other aspects of spine surgery: laminoplasty expands the canal, spinal fusion immobilizes a segment by fusing vertebrae, and laminectomy removes bone to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves.